Elderly man arrested in drug raid

Cape Town - A 65-year-old grandfather was among several suspects arrested in weekend raids across Parkwood, Lotus River and Ottery.

Shortly after sunset on Friday a large contingent of police officers from Grassy Park SAPS along with the Metro Police’s Gang and Drugs Task Team (GDTT) took to the streets to search identified gang and drug hotspots.

The grandfather’s house in Daniel Crescent, Grassy Park was one of the last to be searched and he was nabbed for selling alcohol illegally and for being in possession of dagga.

According to police and neighbours, the man is known for selling cheap wine which he decants into bottles and sells to residents for R12.

The raids, which started at a scrapyard in Parkwood, were aimed at finding guns and drugs following the murder of Ezra Daniels, seven, last week.

During the raids, police arrested one man wanted for murder, two men wanted for a hijacking in Ottery, four people for dagga and one for Mandrax.

Metro Police chief, Wayne le Roux, says: “We have had an outcry from the Parkwood community. The murder of one child is one too many. We are very concerned about the amount of firearms and drugs we confiscate each week and how much there is still out there. We understand that people are fearful, but there are ways to report it and stay anonymous.”

Ezra was laid to rest on Saturday, while the five people arrested for his murder, including a pregnant woman, will be back in court on 14 September for a bail hearing.